Wednesday, 9 January 2013

Day 8: Ok, there was a setback, but...

...the upside is that, since I've already missed a day of flossing, I have a built-in New Year's Resolution for next year. AND nobody has to hate me for being perfect, because let's face it, once you floss every day, you have become self actualized. It's true.

What happened was this:

I went to the orthodontist* yesterday morning, for my final now-you-can-just-wear-the-retainers-at-night checkup, and she asked me, "Are you happy with your teeth?"

I had to be honest, because to do otherwise would be financially irresponsible, as in I-just-spent-way-too-much-money-for-straight-teeth-that-don't-really-look-straight-anymore. So I told her that my bottom teeth had already shifted, and the tooth beside my old fang seemed to be trying to take over the old snaggletooth's job of leaping out and wounding random passerby. She then adjusted my retainers (possibly with pliers; what do I know?) and put them back in my mouth for 9 more months of full-time wear.**

So, my teeth hurt. Not too badly, though, and when I took the retainers off to have an afternoon snack, it didn't seem too painful. Until I put them back on. Oh, dear lord. It felt like I had fashioned the retainers myself, also with pliers, and that I was scraping layers off my teeth and pushing/pulling selected ones into new, agonizing positions... argh. By nighttime, I was in total misery, had eaten a few Tylenols, and was literally afraid of taking them off to floss and brush, because then I'd have to put them on again.

So, I brushed my teeth with the retainers still on. I know, I know: probably not very effective. But it was just one night, and tonight, I'm back on track! (gold star? anyone?)

However, funny story (to me, anyway -- stop reading if you want) - after I introduced my ortho to Tamsin, she commented on the uniqueness of the name, and I said, Well, I grew up with a LOT of Jennifers and Jessicas, and although I wanted my kids to have real names, I didn't want them to have common ones.

She said, "Yes, I have two sisters, and their names are Jennifer and Jessica."

Whoops.

With the new, tightened retainers, I didn't think I had room to put my foot in my mouth too, but she helped me shove it in with the help of her plier thingies. So I barrelled on, as I do, and said, "Karens were very common, too, but I'm one of the youngest ones I know - most are about 10 years older than me."

To which she replied (after using more of her dentisty stuff to open my mouth wide enough to fit my other foot in as well), that she was x years old (see *, replacing "Nameless" with "Ageless") and that many of her colleagues are Karens.

Sigh.

*who shall remain nameless, as I really don't want to tick off the woman who adjusts my teeth.

**I didn't complain at the time, because hey! much worse things can happen in 9 months. Badum.

1 comment:

Haha...good story, except the pain you were in. Physical I mean, the painful foot-in-mouth situation was pretty entertaining!

I love your writing style...you are for-sure a blogger I look up to! Wish I could make my daily life seem hilarious :) I used to follow your blog, not via email because back then I didn't know I could do that - I just had it bookmarked and when my old laptop died I lost my bookmarks and forgot all about you, er I mean it.

Now I will have to invest some time catching up with your life! I left off when your 2nd was just born...

Anyway, just wanted to say hi, and also remind you about the hummus recipe (nudge, nudge)!!